Amber Demands Answers About Co-Parenting Surprise — Then A Hidden Document Reveals Jamal’s True Motive
Chapter 5 — The Unplanned Video Call — Then The Director Asks For Amber
Jamal snatched the phone off the wood grain surface before Amber could glance at the screen.
He thumbed the decline icon with frantic speed.
The vibrating ceased abruptly.
The kitchen fell back into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Jamal set the phone face-down near his coffee mug, breathing hard through his nose.
“Wrong number,” Jamal muttered, his voice strained and unnatural.
“It wasn’t a phone call, Jamal,” Amber said.
She stepped closer to the edge of the island, her eyes locked on his twitching fingers.
“That was a video call interface. And the caller ID on the lock screen before you swiped it away didn’t say a random number.”
Jamal didn’t reply.
He kept his gaze fixed on the floorboards beneath the kitchen table.
“It displayed the exact name of the academy director,” Amber continued, her voice dropping into a steady, dangerous register.
“The same man you claim you only spoke to once weeks ago.”
Before Jamal could invent another excuse, the smartphone lit up again.
This time, the ringer was set to maximum volume.
The melody echoed sharply off the white cabinets.
The incoming caller ID flashed across the glass screen in bold white letters.
Director Vance.
Jamal reached out to swipe the reject button a second time.
Amber was faster.
Her hand shot across the countertop and grabbed the device by its rubber edges.
She pressed the green accept icon before Jamal could yank it away.
A bright, high-resolution video feed instantly populated the screen.
The face of an older man wearing a tailored gray suit filled the display.
Behind him, a mahogany-paneled office wall lined with framed university degrees came into clear view.
“Jamal,” the director said, his voice brisk and authoritative through the tiny speaker.
“I tried calling your direct line twice. We have a major administrative hiccup on our end regarding the tuition deposit transfer.”
Jamal froze in his chair.
“Mr. Vance,” Jamal stammered, half-rising from his seat.
“This really isn’t a good time—”
“I am speaking with Mrs. Cooper right now,” the director interrupted, his eyes shifting on the screen as he noticed the second face in the frame.
“Am I correct in assuming, Mrs. Cooper, that you are fully on board with the expedited transfer and eager to finalize our primary enrollment paperwork today?”
Amber looked down at the video feed.
She stared straight into the front-facing camera lens.
“No, Mr. Vance,” Amber said clearly.
“I did not authorize the transfer, and I was never consulted about my son’s enrollment in your academy.”
The director on the screen blinked in visible confusion.
His eyebrows drew together in a sharp frown.
“That is entirely contrary to what Mr. Cooper assured us during our initial consultation meetings last month,” the director said.
“He explicitly stated that both parents were in total agreement and that you were managing the home transition logistics while he handled the financial commitment.”
Jamal lunged forward across the table, his hand clawing at the phone in Amber’s grip.
“Give me that phone,” Jamal hissed, his face flushing dark red.
“Stop talking to him, Amber. This is a private family matter.”
“It’s not a private family matter anymore when you use forged consent and stolen college funds,” Amber fired back, pulling the phone out of his reach.
The director’s voice boomed through the speaker, cutting off their argument.
“Hold on a moment, Mr. Cooper,” Director Vance said, his tone turning ice-cold.
“If there is a dispute regarding legal authorization, we have a serious compliance issue on our hands.”
“There is no dispute,” Jamal lied frantically, his voice cracking.
“She’s just stressed about the move. Everything is fine.”
“Amber,” the director said directly, ignoring Jamal’s frantic interruption.
“Since you are on the line, we need this sorted out immediately before the registrar locks the system.”
The director paused, checking a digital tablet sitting on his desk.
“There is a mandatory parent orientation meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning at eight o’clock sharp in the main auditorium.”
